My name is Carter LaCorte and I am a 5th grader from Long Island, NY. I started this blog so I could write articles about the NHL and MLB. My favorite teams are the New York Yankees and the New York Islanders.

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

NHL trade review: Habs trade Desharnais to Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers have acquired center David Desharnais from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Brandon Davidson. Let's get into details.
The Oilers have been rebuilding for about a decade. They had first overall picks many times but didn't win really big ever. But finally, the Oilers drafted center Connor McDavid with the first overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft, and McDavid is already a top player in the league. Now the Oilers are playoff contenders. They sit 3rd in the Pacific division with 74 points (a record of 33-22-8). Adding center depth in Desharnais can help them if they make the playoffs. They have defensive depth, and Davidson was probably going to be taken by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL expansion draft, so trading him rules that out. Desharnais, 30, has 10 points (4 goals and 6 assists) in 31 games this season. He has 250 points (79 goals and 171 assists) in 435 career NHL games, all with the Habs.
The Habs are looking to beef up a weak defensive core. They have all-star Shea Weber, but the rest isn't that good. GM Marc Bergervin acquired defenseman Jordie Benn Monday, and is probably going to make more moves at the trade deadline. Getting Davidson gives them defensive depth, which is good. Davidson, 25, has 1 point (an assist) in 28 games this season, all in the NHL. He has 13 points (5 goals and 8 assists) in 91 career NHL games.